To be remembered…as she is rembered

Her name was Vi, short for Viola. (which she hated) She was a beautiful and stylish young bride in 1944, at a time when songs that topped the charts were from people like the Andrew Sisters, Bing Crosby, and Glen Miller. She witnessed events like the Great Depression and the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was also a war bride, whose brand new husband had to leave her side to go fight for our country. She raised three children and somehow always managed to keep her poise and class. She wore lipstick, jewelry, and perfume up until the very last days of her life. Her house was always immaculate and every last drawer and closet space was neatly organized and labeled. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother….my Grandmother.

Other than my dear, precious Mother, I couldn’t think of any other woman who has been as influential in my life as my Grandma. And since writing a post about our mom’s was to be saved for a later date, I’m loving this opportunity to introduce you all to one of my most favorite women, my Grandma, Vi. If I close my eyes, I can still hear her laugh. I can still smell her perfume and the way the scent was always combined with mint gum. I can still picture her dressed up at each holiday gathering with her hair freshly done, and her pink lipstick on. I can still picture her and my Grandpa waltzing around the livingroom floor as my Dad and I played music. She was the kind of grandmother that made you feel like each word you said was as important as a presidential address. She, along with my grandpa, were my biggest fans. They traveled all over the place following me to every concert, competition, or performance. They would get there early of course, to get the best seats in the house and to set up their video camera. (Let’s hope some of those videos never see the light of day) Anyways, I learned many valuable lessons about being a wife and mother by watching my Grandma.

In the last years of my Grandpa’s life, he suffered from Parkinson’s. Taking care of him, was her life…and she was happy to do it. She displayed a great amount of faithfulness and devotion. In fact, a few years later after he had passed, and while she was now struggling with dementia, she never stopped looking for him and would ask where he was. That broke my heart, but it was such a great indicator of their relationship.

In a world where a lasting marriage is a rarity, I am reminded of how much of an impact she had on my life. I hope and pray that someday my children and grandchildren can say similar things about the kind of wife I was to my husband. I want to be remembered as a loving, devoted, and faithful wife. I want to be remembered as a lady with class. I want to be remembered as someone who made others feel special. I want to be remembered…as she is remembered.

We said goodbye on earth to her just a few months ago. But, I do believe she was a Christian, and I am anxiously waiting to see her again. I hope she still smells like Pleasures perfume and mint gum. 🙂

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